You will be listening to each song and analysing the treatment of the elements of music for each one.
1.'So What'
Miles Davis
Melody: Call and response between bass, horns and piano.
On first playing bass has 'call' answered by piano, on second repeat piano is joined by horns.
Response part quite rhythmic with signature dotted crotchet quaver motif ("So What").
Based on ascending perfect 5th, followed by scalic intervals outlining D Dorian
-fairly scalic in nature
-small intervals
-small range of notes
Rhythm: 4/4, swung. very important. heavy use of repetition in the Head, more complex in the solo.
In Solo section the bass has a walking line. drums have simple ostinato of swung quavers.
Dotted crotchet/quaver in the head of the piece is a very important figure, which helps to identify the head, and when it is repeated.
The rhythms of each solo become more complex, with each musician expanding on the previous solo adding semiquavers, triplets and more complex rhythmic figures .
Harmony: Quite simple, not over important. slow harmonic change. A; 8 bars of Dm7, then A1; 8 bars of Dm7 (horns enter), then B; 8 bars of Ebm7, then back to A; 8 bars of Dm7.
It is a non-functional harmony- focuses on melody rather then harmony.
Structure/Form:
The Head is 32 bars.
16 of D Dorian,
8 of Eb Dorian
8 of D Dorian.
A--D Dorian
A'-- Horns/Piano have 'Be Bop' figure,
B -- Eb Dorian.
A --D Dorian
The structure of the whole piece
- Intro 1 -11 - Slow tempo - Contrasts against the rest of the piece through its use of disjointed elements and free rubato - sets up some of the harmonic frame work - no sense of pulse
- Head 12-43
- Trumper solo 44
- Tenor sax solo 111
- Alto sax solo 175
- Piano solo (letter E)
- Bass solo (letter F) 7 bars long
- Followed by the return of the head.
Tonality: D Dorian for 16 bars - it then modulates to E flat Dorian in the head at bar 28 for 8 bars
ToneColour: - The head is overall cool, free, laid back created by muted trumpet combined with saxes, piano, bass and drums. Drums playing on Back Beat. Swung rhythms.
- Trumpet solo has no or little vibrato. creates Cool sound. Trumpet solo played without mute, creates a different sound between solo and head.
- Different ranges and registers explored in the solos, between instruments, creating a range of tone colours.
- Solos - Trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax, short piano solo, bass, head. Each one creating its own tone colour by its use of different instrumentation, individual persons style, use of ornamentation, range/ register of the instrument.
Texture: - Thin during intro, with just bass and piano bars 1-11. Bars 12-20 is the head and is still bass and piano.
- The thickest texture of the whole song is at bars 21- 43 with the entrance of the horn section, playing the response of "so what". They double the piano.
- Changes again at Davis' solo, bar 43 - thinner texture.
- The texture then stays the same through the next few solos.
- Texture becomes thicker again at 241, when the horn section enters again to play backing response to Evans' solo.
- Texture becomes thicker again at bar 291 when the head returns. All the instruments are playing the backing response to the bass call again.
Dynamics: - Whole piece is pretty much played at a moderate volume (mf), with some crecendos created by soloists, rhythm section keeps a steady dynamic, played moderately.
Articulation: - No vibrato used by Trumpet.
- Muted trumpet at beginning.
- Chord stabs by piano during solo section.
- A range of Jazz articulations used in the solo's to keep each solo unique (accenting weak/off beats)
2. 'All Blues'
Melody: - Based on G Mixolydian.
- Melody played on trumpet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, piano and double bass in their respective solo sections.
- Counter melody in saxes in some parts of melody.
- Small range and intervals.
- A "head" melody recurs throughout the piece. The melodies in the solo sections vary on this.
Rhythm: - 6/4.
- Repetitive bass ostinato.
- Minim followed by a crotchet is used frequently in the head by saxes.
- Short sharp articulation in head, esp. crotchet beats.
Harmony: - 12 bar blues pattern.
- The chord sequence is that of a basic blues and made up entirely of 7th chords, with a bVI in the turnaround instead of just the usual V chord. In the song's original key of G this chord is an Eb7.
Structure/Form: - Head -same tempo - Figure A Trumpet solo
- Figure B Alto solo
- Figure C Tenor Solo
- Figure D Piano Solo
- Figure E Head repeated
- Figure F Trumpet solo untill the song fades out.
The structure of the overall song is; Intro chord pattern for the head. Doesn't contrast
- Layered entries with Bass and piano, drums folowed by;
- Tenor sax and alto at bar 5 enter with repeating melodic ostinato. Set up chord pattern.
- Trumpet coming in with melody.
- Trumpet solo letter A (or between 41and 44)
- Figure B Alto solo - uses more melodic variations
- Figure C Tenor Solo
- Figure D Piano Solo - features the use of more harmonic variations
- Figure E Head repeated
- Figure F Trumpet solo untill the song fades out. Slight variation of the origional trumpet solo. More elaborate.
Tonality;
- Based on G Mixolydian mode.
Instrumentation:
-A typical jazz ensemble; trumpet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, piano, double bass, drum kit.
- The drum kit plays "time"; it keeps the beat throughout the piece.
- The double bass provides the bass line, adds some drive and has a short solo towards the end.
- The trumpet, alto saxophone and tenor saxophone are the main solo instruments. They are the main source of melody in the piece outside of the head. The saxophones serve as the backing for the trumpet's main melody in that section.
ToneColour
-The piece overall has a relaxed, laid-back feel.
- Each solo explores different t.c. by use of different ranges and registers;
- Phrasing
- Articulation (jazz)
- Piano t.c. in solo differnt to other solos by its use of more notes and chords and alsofeatures the use of more harmonic variations - The use of 6/4 time signature and teh long note values gives the piece a flowing gentle, relaxed, effect and feel.
Texture
- Intro layered entries between piano bass and drums. Alto and tenor sax at bar 5 playign melodic ostinato. Trumpet enters at bad 10 with the head.
- Head thick texture with all instruments playing.
- Each solo one instrument with rhythm section accomp. Thinner texture.
- Untill letter E with the re-entry of the head where the texture is thicker again.
1. 'So What'
Melody:
Call and response between bass, horns and piano.
On first playing bass has 'call' answered by piano, on second repeat piano is joined by horns.
Response part quite rhythmic with signature dotted crotchet quaver motif ("So What").
Based on ascending perfect 5th, followed by scalic intervals outlining D Dorian
-fairly scalic in nature
-small intervals
-small range of notes
Rhythm:
4/4, swung. very important. heavy use of repetition in the Head, more complex in the solo.
In Solo section the bass has a walking line. drums have simple ostinato of swung quavers.
Dotted crotchet/quaver in the head of the piece is a very important figure, which helps to identify the head, and when it is repeated.
The rhythms of each solo become more complex, with each musician expanding on the previous solo adding semiquavers, triplets and more complex rhythmic figures .
Harmony:
Quite simple, not over important. slow harmonic change. A; 8 bars of Dm7, then A1; 8 bars of Dm7 (horns enter), then B; 8 bars of Ebm7, then back to A; 8 bars of Dm7.
It is a non-functional harmony- focuses on melody rather then harmony.
Structure/Form:
The Head is 32 bars.
16 of D Dorian,
8 of Eb Dorian
8 of D Dorian.
A--D Dorian
A'-- Horns/Piano have 'Be Bop' figure,
B -- Eb Dorian.
A --D Dorian
The structure of the whole piece
- Intro 1 -11 - Slow tempo - Contrasts against the rest of the piece through its use of disjointed elements and free rubato - sets up some of the harmonic frame work - no sense of pulse
- Head 12-43
- Trumper solo 44
- Tenor sax solo 111
- Alto sax solo 175
- Piano solo (letter E)
- Bass solo (letter F) 7 bars long
- Followed by the return of the head.
Tonality:
D Dorian for 16 bars - it then modulates to E flat Dorian in the head at bar 28 for 8 bars
Instrumentation:
Drums, Bass, Piano, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Trumpet
Tone Colour:
- The head is overall cool, free, laid back created by muted trumpet combined with saxes, piano, bass and drums. Drums playing on Back Beat. Swung rhythms.
- Trumpet solo has no or little vibrato. creates Cool sound. Trumpet solo played without mute, creates a different sound between solo and head.
- Different ranges and registers explored in the solos, between instruments, creating a range of tone colours.
- Solos - Trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax, short piano solo, bass, head. Each one creating its own tone colour by its use of different instrumentation, individual persons style, use of ornamentation, range/ register of the instrument.
Texture:
- Thin during intro, with just bass and piano bars 1-11. Bars 12-20 is the head and is still bass and piano.
- The thickest texture of the whole song is at bars 21- 43 with the entrance of the horn section, playing the response of "so what". They double the piano.
- Changes again at Davis' solo, bar 43 - thinner texture.
- The texture then stays the same through the next few solos.
- Texture becomes thicker again at 241, when the horn section enters again to play backing response to Evans' solo.
- Texture becomes thicker again at bar 291 when the head returns. All the instruments are playing the backing response to the bass call again.
Dynamics:
- Whole piece is pretty much played at a moderate volume (mf), with some crecendos created by soloists, rhythm section keeps a steady dynamic, played moderately.
Articulation:
- No vibrato used by Trumpet.
- Muted trumpet at beginning.
- Chord stabs by piano during solo section.
- A range of Jazz articulations used in the solo's to keep each solo unique (accenting weak/off beats)
2. 'All Blues'
Melody:
- Based on G Mixolydian.
- Melody played on trumpet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, piano and double bass in their respective solo sections.
- Counter melody in saxes in some parts of melody.
- Small range and intervals.
- A "head" melody recurs throughout the piece. The melodies in the solo sections vary on this.
Rhythm:
- 6/4.
- Repetitive bass ostinato.
- Minim followed by a crotchet is used frequently in the head by saxes.
- Short sharp articulation in head, esp. crotchet beats.
Harmony:
- 12 bar blues pattern.
- The chord sequence is that of a basic blues and made up entirely of 7th chords, with a bVI in the turnaround instead of just the usual V chord. In the song's original key of G this chord is an Eb7.
Structure/Form:
- Head -same tempo
- Figure A Trumpet solo
- Figure B Alto solo
- Figure C Tenor Solo
- Figure D Piano Solo
- Figure E Head repeated
- Figure F Trumpet solo untill the song fades out.
The structure of the overall song is; Intro chord pattern for the head. Doesn't contrast
- Layered entries with Bass and piano, drums folowed by;
- Tenor sax and alto at bar 5 enter with repeating melodic ostinato. Set up chord pattern.
- Trumpet coming in with melody.
- Trumpet solo letter A (or between 41and 44)
- Figure B Alto solo - uses more melodic variations
- Figure C Tenor Solo
- Figure D Piano Solo - features the use of more harmonic variations
- Figure E Head repeated
- Figure F Trumpet solo untill the song fades out. Slight variation of the origional trumpet solo. More elaborate.
Tonality;
- Based on G Mixolydian mode.
Instrumentation:
- A typical jazz ensemble; trumpet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, piano, double bass, drum kit.
- The drum kit plays "time"; it keeps the beat throughout the piece.
- The double bass provides the bass line, adds some drive and has a short solo towards the end.
- The trumpet, alto saxophone and tenor saxophone are the main solo instruments. They are the main source of melody in the piece outside of the head. The saxophones serve as the backing for the trumpet's main melody in that section.
Tone Colour
- The piece overall has a relaxed, laid-back feel.
- Each solo explores different t.c. by use of different ranges and registers;
- Phrasing
- Articulation (jazz)
- Piano t.c. in solo differnt to other solos by its use of more notes and chords and also features the use of more harmonic variations
- The use of 6/4 time signature and teh long note values gives the piece a flowing gentle, relaxed, effect and feel.
Texture
- Intro layered entries between piano bass and drums. Alto and tenor sax at bar 5 playign melodic ostinato. Trumpet enters at bad 10 with the head.
- Head thick texture with all instruments playing.
- Each solo one instrument with rhythm section accomp. Thinner texture.
- Untill letter E with the re-entry of the head where the texture is thicker again.
Dynamics
- Are not a feature
- Same as 'So What'
Articulation
- Variety of Jazz articulations